Forum meetings

Who attends the Forum?

About 80 invited participants attend each Forum; this number has been chosen to allow maximum participation in discussions. Individual participation reflects the broad geographical setting of a particular Forum and seeks to include participants ranging from early career researchers to leaders in their fields.

How are GFBR participants selected?

Successful applicants from low- and middle-income countries will receive an award to cover: return travel to the meeting (standard airfare and standard ground transportation costs); registration; accommodation (3 or 4 nights maximum including meals), and a copy of the proceedings. Participants will be expected to meet all other costs. The Steering Committee of Partners will decide on successful candidates (both self-funded and those applying for funded places).

The decision criteria will include the following factors:

Country of origin: GFBR would like to ensure a representative distribution of delegates from different regions;

Background /current area of expertise: GFBR is aimed at anyone involved or interested in health research ethics, including researchers, policy-makers and community representatives. GFBR seeks representation from many different disciplines;

Membership of an IRB/REC: Membership of an Institutional Review Board / Research Ethics Committee is not a prerequisite for attending GFBR, but may be taken into consideration;

Experience of ethics: GFBR encourage s a mixture of ‘old’ and ‘new’ faces at each forum so that participants can productively discuss issues of concern to them and gain from the perspectives of others. Applicants need not be experts in ethics;

Reasons for attending the meeting: GFBR seeks participants who will be able to actively contribute to the meeting and who expect to impact on research ethics and/or pursue a career in research ethics in their own country.